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90

GameZone

NBA Live 2003 is perfect for gamers looking for a non-stop bombardment of highlight reel plays. The freestyle controls are excellent and the graphics are easily the best of any basketball game available for the GameCube.

All in all, EA Sports has a great handle on the basketball crown with NBA Live 2003. With improved graphics, better animations, and a control system that, like their commercials say, allows players to fully express themselves anyway they want, Live 2003 is unbelievably solid. Probably the hardest decision would be which one to buy if you own all three systems. The Xbox version is graphically the most polished, while the PS2 version is the only one that has online features. Gamecube owners shouldn't be worried, as their version is one of the best basketball titles for their system. Anyone who loves the sport should run out and pick up a copy of this game.

This is NBA Live's debut on GameCube, but the 2002 edition on other platforms was choppy, devoid of any basketball artificial intelligence and had too much focus on the flashy, more superficial elements of professional basketball. With Sega's popular NBA 2K series making the jump to all three next generation consoles last season, NBA Live 2003 pretty much had to do something great to keep EA in the game. This latest version of NBA Live succeeds because it allows gamers to focus on the most exciting and entertaining parts of NBA basketball but with all of the rules and realism you'd expect from an all out NBA simulation. Plus the new "freestyle control" system on the C-stick could actually be the gaming revolution that EA's marketing types have been hyping up so much.

While it may not totally realistic, it still retains enough of simulation style elements (especially in the harder difficulty settings) to appease even the most hardcore basketball fan. Its up-tempo gameplay along with the great passing and control make NBA Live 2003 a truly enjoyable basketball game.

NBA Live 2003 gets a complete overhaul in both the graphics and gameplay department, placing a much heavier emphasis on an adrenaline-charged experience. Although the gameplay balance is off, it remains fun and easy to play.

Because of its advanced visual presentation, NBA Live 2003 is an enticing proposition, but don't be fooled. After a few days you'll have seen all the cinemas and all you're left with is a game that plays like a flock of mosquitoes buzzing around a light bulb. It's a huge step forward for the franchise and other developers will likely copy the freestyle dribbling system for years to come, but until the defensive and offensive play is better balanced, it's hard to recommend as anything other than a rental.